Heartlandian War of Independence
Background Timeline *8th May 08-75 - Alex Stone, future leader of the revolution, is born. *November 08-99 - Civil unrest in the capital is answered with horrific UF violence. This is marked to be one of the earliest events to spark the revolution. *3rd to 14th January 09-00 - The "New Century" riots break out. Sudden and widespread non-compliance is believed to have stemmed from the violent execution of national war hero Yaro Thomson and his unit consisting of over 3000 soldiers, who allegedly planned to assassinate the chancellor of the United Republic, Doune Ian Rickes. Soldiers and cavalry are brought in to quell the rioters, using live ammunition. There are in excess of 900 civilian casualties across the country. *14th January 09-00 - UF Soldiers burn down the Heartland Forum, an ancient building in the centre of the capital, to deter further civil revolt. This serves only to provoke more violence against the UF. *February 09-00 - Riots break out on an unprecedented level across Heartland. While the Heartland militia consist of mainly unarmed civilians, they manage to inflict a number of casualties against the United Republic's ranks. This, however, is at the cost of heavy losses. *21st February 09-00 - Chancellor Dounne Ian Rickets calls for the Heartland rioters to back down, threatening "Regrettable, but brutal military action." He gives the country an ultimatum of a week to end hostilities. *28th February 09-00 - The call for civil obedience fails to be heeded, and what is known as "The National Bloodbath" begins. UF Armed forces enter the region en mass, destroying large amounts of land as revenge for the revolt. Villages and small towns become smoking ash, and tens of thousands of civilians go missing, with tales of mass execution and imprisonment following them. *1st March 09-00 - Alex's Stones unit, the 600th Republic Rifles, enter the People's City. Many soldiers, after refusing to attack their own countrymen and women, are executed for treason. Many others are killed during the fighting, as the revolutionaries have managed to take over several UF Weapon caches. *24th March 09-00 - Junior Commander Alex Stone, after fighting for several weeks in the capital, is reported missing. Some of his squad mates claim he was killed, and his body dragged off. UF overseers believe he deserted. Neither side has any material proof of their theories. *20th April 09-00 - King Paradisan, leader of the Great Empire, and his country wish to help the Heartland Revolutionaries in their struggle. While this is purely for their own personal gain, Imperial spies make contact with several key figures of the Revolution, and promise support in the form of easily manufacturable weapons. *2nd May 09-00 - Imperial support comes in the form of the Freedom Gun, a simple repeater designed for mass production, with the overall goal of arming the revolutionary forces. GE instructors also arrive in the country to provide training, but their support is limited, and most return to their territory after a couple of months. Aftermath By the 29th September 09-02, the remainder of the United Forces that hadn't been captured or killed had withdrawn from the country, ending it's occupation. In the final days of the war, Alex Stone was "elected" the first leader of New Heartland, marking it's birth as an independent country. However, after the furious figting against the territorial forces of the UF, the country was in a sorry state before it had even begun. While industry across the country flourished due to the recapturing of the many factiories in the densely Heartland urban centres, the cities themselves were mostly reduced to rubble. Agriculture and natural resource production had almost completely ground to a halt as many UF troops had time to set fire to many farms and scorched the earth during their retreat, despite the efforts of the pursuing Heartland forces. While the country was populated with a large number of highly skilled workers, New Heartland almost died a quick death just after it had established itself due to the scarcity of supplies. On the 23rd of October of that year, King Paradisan and his parliament, keen to advance their own agenda of overrunning the country, sent a small band of soldiers and politicians east to begin negotiations. President Stone quickly organized a cabinet of his own, comprised of both high ranking veterans of the war, academics and intellectuals that were former UF prisoners, and close friends of Stone. Even though large numbers of politicians and "smart folk" from the UF defected during the country's birth, the New Heartlandian government were composed entirely of nationalists, i.e. people born and bred in Heartland. The summit between the Great Empire and the New Heartlandians went on for 2 months. King Paradisan, in return for assisting Stone win the revolution, wished to have a military presence in Heartland, as well as control of 40% of the country, most of it being farmland and in the centre of the country, and control of Heartland's northern ports. President Stone, who had fought tooth and nail to regain his country, refused to give up any land whatsoever. He instead envisioned an alliance between the two countries, and wished them to work together to exact their revenge on the republic, but wanted no imperial soldiers to ever enter the border. For two months the summit got nowhere, and the alliance sought between the two countries never came to fruition, due to the greed of King Paradisan, and the stubbornness of President Stone. The talks ended in a stalemate, and the cabinet from the Great Empire returned home, humiliated that their "kindness" during the war had been completely ignored. Meanwhile, beyond the Eastern Border of Heartland, the United Republic, furious of their loss of over 35,000,000 Kilometers Squared of territory, sought revenge of their own, and after a couple of months rallying their forces, they attacked again on the 2nd of December. Anticipating a revenge fueled counter-attack, President Stone made sure the border had been heavily fortified all the way along the Eastern perimeter, and equipped its many defenders with high-quality weapons and materiel left over from the UF retreat. This force of over 6,000,000 soldiers, who had been little more than peasants just 2 years ago, successfully repelled the attacking republic forces by outnumbering them 9 to 1, as well as being well protected by the line of defense they had constructed. The Great Imperials, thinking the Heartland Army was occupied with the Eastern Border, launched an attack of its own to try and occupy the country again. They were surprised to meet heavy defense, and most of the spearhead force was cut off and captured, with many other soldiers of the main force killed in ambushes along the roads of advance. The force retreated, reinforcing its own Eastern Border in anticipation of a Heartland attack, thus ending any hope of the two countries ever allying with one another. In the months and years following the Revolution, Heartland and its people managed to find their feet, and restore the country to what it once was before the war, only now, they were free of the tyranny of the United Republic, who had oppressed them for nearly 700 Years. The infrastructure of the country was rebuilt, and its armies were formally trained as soldiers of New Heartland, and supplied with new weaponry, designed and assembled in the reclaimed factories that had helped the newly independent Heartland stay free. The battlefield that was Earth was forever changed - a two sided stalemate that had lasted since pre-history had now become a three sided struggle for conquest of the globe. Blood was spilt, and advances and retreats were made as they were before, but now a third power stood between the two monsters, just as powerful and hungry as they were. On the 6th of June ERA 09-55, President Stone, the man who had resisted the UF regime and reclaim his home, made a final appearance to his public. The elderly veteran, 80 Years of age, bid farewell to his nation and stepped down as President. It is unknown when afterwards he died, and what of, or even if he did at all, but he was never seen again, and the government refuses to comment on the details. He was succeeded by Aidan Mars Chain, son of a highly-honored revolutionary, and was elected in the first ever democratic vote in the country's history. Alex Stone's name, despite being known forever in the Republic's history books as a traitor and a mass murderer, was etched onto the memorial monument at the 1st Observation Force's base in Hopebrook, Norta on the same day of his retirement. Category:Premier Timeline